DISHONORED: Tokyo Stalker
by Le loup de Kaiser
Summary: A blade out of time, Corvo Attano finds himself in a world where criminals are defined by their conscience and not their acts. Armed with his blade and the powers of the Outsider, he once again becomes an assassin in a land that fears dark justice.
1. Chapter 1

**DISHONORED**

_**Tokyo Stalker**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: **_After_

* * *

In a world where natural laws isn't nature and material things are but memories, lives a powerful creature. The people know him by many names, but remember him by one. They remember him as 'The Outsider'.

He is ageless and mighty. He grants gifts to those who faithfully interest and serve him. None can oppose him for he lives outside of time. Maybe even the universe. Some say he has the face of a man. Others, a great serpent. Still some persist that he is a whale, but this is speculation. In truth, no one can see him unless he reveals himself to them. Few are graced with this. You have to pique his interest first. Something very hard to do and he knows it. Oh, how he knows it.

The Outsider, in his Whale form, swam through the endless void, bored out of his mind.

_'Millenniums have passed and no one...absolutely NO ONE, has lived up to their purpose.' _thought the creature, _'Serkonos is well, the oceans explored, and the people complacent. Very boring.' _

He moaned, uttering a low growl through the whale's vocal cords. In response, several buildings and people were formed from nothing to show a sculpted representation of the events of the material world. He looked at his creations and turned away in disgust. _'A golden age is born...indeed it has. And now man has taken his rightful place as ruler of the world. He has become strong and requires no aid or gratitude. They've even forgotten about me save for the history lessons they teach their children. I am but a story now to the arrogant being known as Man. Perhaps, like the story, I will fade from all this...yes, detachment is what they want. but then, where will I go?'_

Racking his mind for ideas, he plows through several possibilities. Maybe he'll walk among men this time and live as they do and see what they see. But he realized that he'd done that before and it ended unpleasantly. Another idea popped up...no, it was far too simple. Then...it flashed.

_'How about another world?' _He thought with excitement. _'Yes, a world that is interesting and different. But which one? I need to find one filled with story and depth. One where people are desperate for purpose and meaning in their lives.'_

He suddenly looks ahead and a floating stone floor appears ahead of him. His whale form disappears into black smoke and suddenly, black smoke arises from the stone floor. Out of it, appears a young, brown haired, white man dressed in a brown coat, blue pants and black boots. He ran his hand through his short cropped hair as 32ft tall, rectangular mirrors appear in a half circle in front of him.

"One of these mirrors should be what I'm looking for." He told himself. "Now which one?"

Each mirror suddenly become portals to a different world. It was like viewing several TVs each showing a different channel. Entertainment was endless. But the Outsider was picky. He wanted only the best. He saw the first few mirrors. Most were set in medieval times. One of which showed a man wearing a horned helmet, shouting at dragons. But with so many divine and demonic forces at work, the Outsider decided against this one. Politics wasn't his strong point.

The next batch was set closer to the time of his home world. One had two blonde boys creating objects using the magic of runes. In fact, one of the boys was clapping his hands together before placing them on a pile of rocks. It flashed blue before turning into a cannon with a badly shaped caricature of the boy's face embossed on the side of the cannon. _'This one seems interesting. But it seems there's no conflict anymore.' _thought the Outsider. He looked through more but found nothing good.

He was about to give up until he saw the last batch of portals. One had a world where a woman bent the four elements to her will. Another had girls flying in the sky using propellers attached to their legs. And the last one, was a world where technology was their god and people obeyed its orders or faced the wrath of the local authorities with their high powered guns.

"A difficult choice we have here." said the Outsider. "But, I'm afraid I have my world." He waved his left hand and the mirrors disappeared save for the one with technology. He watched the world for a while and noticed how flawed their system is. "Ah, a system where one can measure criminals by the state of mind. Curious strategy...but flawed if the mind is already happy with the sins he commits." Suddenly, he sees a white haired man sitting in a couch of some hotel. He feels an ominous presence from this man. "One who will change the world. But not for the better. Someone like this needs a counterforce. Someone to complete him." says the Outsider. He smiles and turns around. He stretches his hands outward, and a black smoke forms in the shape of a man. The Outsider drops his hands to the side as the smoke fades to reveal a brown haired, white man dressed in a sharp and stylish black trench coat from the late 1800's. In fact, the rest of the attire was similar in design. From the black vest he wore, to the same colored pants and brown boots. The man looks around in bewilderment and then looks at his hands.

The Outsider crosses his arms, pleased with his work. "Hello Corvo. It's nice to see you again." He says with an even tone.

Corvo Attano gives the Outsider a puzzled look. It was obvious he wanted to know what just happened. The Outsider tells him, "I've used my power to bring you back from death. It was a waste to see someone so fascinating die so early."

Corvo suddenly asks, "Why did you bring me back?"

The Outsider answers, "There's a world I want you to explore for me. It is filled with things made after your time as Queen Emily's Protector. It is also at its turning point."

Corvo notices the portal behind the Outsider. He tilts his head to the side and sees the world his resurrector mentioned. Facing the supernatural being, he gives him a look that asks, 'why?'

The Outsider smiles a bit and says, "Your world is at peace and the people happy with their lives. They've no need for heroes. This world I present, does."

Suddenly, Corvo feels a familiar burning sensation on his left hand. He looks at it and sees the familiar mark of the Outsider. It seems his bridges have been burned. "My place is with the Queen and her mother. I'm done with _that _life."

The Outsider suddenly appears beside Corvo. He drapes an arm around Corvo's shoulder and says, "Ah, but Corvo, your purpose is clear. You are an Assassin. The greatest one in history after Daud. You saved Dunwall, by sending only the masterminds to their deaths. And you did it all without being seen even once. Having that much power and that much self-control is exactly what makes you special. It is why I chose you. But I will not force you to act. Rather, see it yourself. I will keep the portal open so that you may return whenever you wish. Simply call my name, and the portal will open for you." With that, the Outsider fades into black smoke.

Corvo approaches the portal and sees the new world. He marvels at the many strange and new things. There were machines and sleek mechanical carriages that brought people from one place to another in a matter of seconds. Buildings were tall. Taller than the Lighthouse on Kingsparrow Island. And people interacted with a machine much like the one the Lord Regent used at Dunwall Tower to inform his general and guards. Yet the people were tense and sad. There was an overwhelming feeling of strain and stress among the populace. This feeling reminded Corvo of Dunwall during Lord Hiram's reign but he could not see the source of the oppression.

He heard a clanking sound behind him. It sounded like it hit the floor. He turned and saw Piero's Blade there. He picked it up from the ground and extended the blade to full length. It's black blade had a very slight shine in the ambient light. He twirled the blade in his right hand before sheathing it back in the hilt and tucking it away in his jacket. But as he did, he felt another familiar object there. Pulling out the object, he saw his mask. It brought back a lot of memories. All the hardship and death he and the Loyalists went through to put Emily on the throne. In the end, it was worth it. The people were safe and oppression was lifted. Peace ruled both in the hearts and minds of the people.

Corvo turned back once more to the portal and saw the strange world and felt its turmoil. "Maybe, for just a while." He tells himself. Putting on the mask and his hood, the Assassin walks through not knowing what fate awaits him.

**~0~**

Corvo arrived right in the middle of an empty street. The surroundings were unfamiliar, but the stench of oil, smoke, and dirt filled the air. It was just like home. He saw a nearby map posted on the wall and took a gander. But to his dismay, he couldn't understand the writings or the symbols on it.

"Where am I?" He asked to no one in particular.

Water began to drop over his head. He looked up and rain poured heavily on him. As it did, a short, brown haired, woman in a gray office attire, ran through and accidentally bumped into him. She fell on her butt and exclaimed, "Ah! Sumimasen!(_ah! I'm sorry!)_".

Corvo looked at her and saw she was different. Her features were softer and her eyes bigger than the people of Dunwall. He truly knew he was in a different world.

the woman stared at the masked man and held her breath. That mask was scary. As she was about to speak, the masked man extended his right hand to her. She looked at it briefly and noticed how large his hands were.

"Are you okay miss?" Corvo asked. The woman woke from her stupor and took his hand while saying, " D-daijobu desu. Arigato.(_I-I'm fine. Thank You._)".

He figured she was thanking him and pulled her to her feet. Before he could say anymore the girl bowed briefly and ran through the street. Corvo found her a bit odd. Most people back at home had no reason to rush. If they did, it meant something was afoot. He took a step in her direction and accidentally stepped on a folder. He looked and thought, _'She must have dropped it in the crash.' _He picked it up and noticed the word 'classified' stamped in red on it. Ah, a word he understands. _'She must be working for the local government. I suspect she'll need this.'_

**~0~**

Corvo managed to follow the girl to a location filled with a crowd and several unusual machines blocking entry into a street. _'Looks like the scene of a crime. What's going on here?'_ he thinks. He peers over the crowd(something not hard to do) and sees the woman show an ID of sorts to the humanoid machines guarding the entrance to a street. The woman is given entry, and she walks through. _'I'll need a better vantage point.' _thought Corvo. Looking up, he finds a building across him. It was just far enough to blink. The rune in his left hand glows, and he disappears, only to reappear on the top of the roof. With a better view, he could see two people in uniform under a small tent. He crouches down and got a good look at the two. One was the woman from earlier, and the other was a black haired man in his mid-twenties. He hid his cold eyes behind his square glasses.

Corvo listened in and heard the woman say a few things. He got the word 'Kansayaku Ginoza'. The man turned to talk to her as soon as he heard that. _'It must be his name and title.' _Corvo thought.

While the two conversed, Corvo listened intently. No doubt, there was a language barrier, but he had decades of experience when it came to trouble and he knew they were talking about it.

Kansayaku Ginoza raised his left arm up to reveal his watch. He pushed the button on it and a holofield projected a profile of a man. It was similar to the ones Corvo had seen in the Spymaster's folders, if not far more organized.

Corvo magnified his mask's built in telescopic lens to the max. Thankfully, it was strong enough that he could see the profile clearly. The two people's target was a man named Nobuo Okura. He was a black haired, glasses wearing, 39 year old man. The woman and her colleague talked a bit more and surprise filled the woman's face. She felt her pockets and then bowed repeatedly to the man. _'I guess she's apologizing for losing this folder.' _thought Corvo.

Soon enough, the two agents put on a blue jacket as one of those large mechanical carriages drove through and pulled over beside the tent. It's back doors flung open and four people walked out. One was a black haired woman who tied her hair in a ponytail. the other was a man with wild, orange hair. An older gentleman in a brown trench coat to complement his dark brown hair, followed them. And finally, a black haired man in a dark grey jacket over his white shirt and black tie came out last.

Corvo could tell these were experienced fighters. Their walk and stances were strong. Even the orange haired one had it. As they entered the tent, a machine popped out of the side of the mechanical carriage and moved on its tiny wheels to the group. It opened up and showed a plethora of sleek yet rectangular pistols for the group to use. The weapons looked far heavier than the pistols Corvo was used to, and from his observation, they seemed to interact with their user the moment the user touches them. He could tell because they paused momentarily and a turquoise glow shone in their eyes. Was it magic? He wasn't sure.

Eventually the group geared up, cueing Corvo to their plans. He watched them enter a narrow alley, in search of the man named Nobuo Okura. When the agents were out of sight, Corvo ran on the rooftops while using his dark vision to keep track of the group. The unit then split into several pairs. The brown-haired woman and the gentleman had formed a pair and casually combed the streets. Corvo carefully followed them, blinking to the shadows as he kept track. He wondered what this Nobuo Okura had done to warrant a search party. _'Not even Slackjaw got this much attention. Whatever this man did, made him public enemy number one.' _thought the assassin. He ran his mind on all the possibilities that lead to this and eliminated those that didn't.

As the agent duo combed the alley, with guns drawn, Corvo, from his perched rooftop, saw the woman pass a drunkard. She stopped and shivered. Suddenly, she turned around and aimed her weapon at the drunk, her eyes wide with fear. The assassin shook his head. _'She's new to this. It was good thinking to watch this one.' _

As he stalked the pair further down the alley, he begun to see the worse parts of this district. It was like the Bottle Street Gang had taken over what with all the loose people laying about or walking around. In fact, with the way things looked, he wondered if this woman could handle herself in what he suspected to be her first field mission. Hopefully, he wouldn't need to step in and they'd capture the target before he does anything drastic.

**~0~**

After a few minutes of stalking, he sees the duo stop. He looks around for signs of a possible ambush. He quickly turns on his Dark Vision and sees nothing but cats and rats. he sighs in relief and blinks to the next rooftop. Little did he know, the gentlemanly agent heard his low sigh. The agent looked to where it came from and saw nothing.

_'Hehe...No way...'_ the old man thought in disbelief.

but then his watch activates and a holofield shows up. It warns him that Nobuo Okura is no longer needed in this world. He informs his partner, making her even more worried as the pair enter the elevator.

**~0~**

Seeing the two enter, Corvo decides to anticipate their next stop. He blinks to a nearby rooftop overlooking an abandoned hotel. As he watches the elevator, he spots a strange man, walking the hotel balcony whilst carrying a person on his shoulder. Corvo quickly focuses his lens on the man and realized it was Nobuo Okura, carrying a beaten up, half-naked woman over his shoulder. From there, Corvo knew what this was about. He moved his left hand to his side, only to realize he didn't have his crossbow. _'Looks like I have to make it personal.'_

Corvo drops down the rooftop and onto the balcony railings. He runs then leaps over the end of the railing and blinks to the rooftop on the other side. A feat normally impossible for anyone but Corvo. From the overlook, he notices that the target has picked up the pace and stopped right in front of a flight of stairs heading down.

"Stop right there!" Yelled the gentleman agent as he and his partner aimed their guns at the man.

Nobuo Okura faces them and yells at them with wild eyes, "Don't come! Drop your guns!" Seeing the hostage, The agents reluctantly comply and drop their guns. The gentleman slides his gun over to Nobuo's side. Corvo needed no explanation. Without their guns, the suspect was capable of hurting both the hostage or the two agents. He needed to act fast but he was too far away to blink to the target or possess him. He needed to make the long jump again. _'Can I do it? No, I have to in order to save them.'_

Nobuo picks up the gun and carries his hostage by his side using his free hand. He points the gun at the agents with a wild smile plastered on his face. He begins to laugh as the agents raise their hands in surrender. Corvo quickly runs off the rooftop and makes his jump. At the height of his jump, he pulls out his short sword and blinks several feet above the man.

Nobuo completely drops the hostage and grips the gun with both hands. He suddenly yells, "Die!"

Before he could squeeze the trigger, Corvo lands on him and drives his blade downward into the man's chest and through his heart. Nobuo gasps out some blood before the light leaves his eyes. Corvo pulls out his blade and stands tall.

The two agents are left shocked as they stare at the masked man. Neither could believe what happened. The same goes for their black haired backup waiting behind a pipe, who had his gun still pointed at where Nobuo stood.

_'What the hell was that?!' _thought the black haired man.

The hostage finally came to her senses and panics and screams at the sight of the dead suspect and the bloody blade of his killer. This also wakes up the two agents from stupor. The woman gazes at the man and thinks, _'It's the nice person from earlier. Why?!' _But then she remembered what he did and nearly fumbles, as she picks up her gun and aims it at Corvo. "Don't move!" she yells. Of course, Corvo couldn't understand a word she said.

"Don't do it Inspector." Says the black haired man. "He's blue."

"What?!" She gasps in surprise. She aims her gun at him and the weapon confirms it. The masked felon's crime coefficient is blue. Her eyes grow wide in confusion. How could a killer maintain such a healthy mental state? "That's impossible! How is he blue?!" she yelled. There was no way her gun would let her shoot an 'innocent' man. It was built to only harm those in the green and muddy colors.

"He's probably one of _those guys._" replies the gentleman agent.

the black haired man drops his gun and says, "All the reason to take him in." He leaps over the pipe and throws a right punch but Corvo suddenly disappears.

"What the?!" the black haired man says as he passes through the spot Corvo was in.

Even the gentleman agent and his partner were more shocked.

"What the heck is going on?" asked the woman.

**~0~**

Corvo sat beside a pipe on one of the rooftops he was on. He was still within eyeshot and earshot of the bewildered group and was glad that they were safe. A second later, and they'd have holes in their heads. He watched the agents as they begun to get their bearings and try to make sense out of what happened.

"Hey, old man...who was he?" Asked the black haired one.

The old man sighed and said, "I don't know Kogami. But I had a feeling he was following us the whole time."

Shinya Kogami furrows his brows. "You've got to be kidding. A vigilante in this day and age? And if our guns don't work on him, how will we catch him?"

The old man runs his metal, prosthetic left hand over his hair. "Well, he's gone now. It'll be alright. We'll catch him some other day. Right now, let's help the inspector with the hostage."

they both look at the brown haired woman who had rushed to the hostage and was trying to calm her down...with gun in hand.

"We're with the Public Safety Bureau. You're safe now. Please rest at ease." She said, holding her gun with both hands. But the hostage was still shaking in fear. "Calm down! We're here to rescue you!" she tells the hostage in a slightly higher tone. The hostage continues to shake and now backs away in fear. "Don't...Don't..." she barely speaks out. suddenly the hostage looks up at the imposing figure behind the female agent. The agent in question notices her gaze and looks back to see the gentleman agent aiming his gun at the hostage.

"Mr. Masaoka..." the female agent says with a questioning tone.

Masaoka answers, "Young lady, check her on your gun."

the female agent reluctantly tries it and is shocked when the gun informs her that the hostage was a viable non-lethal target for the gun.

"Guess it can't be helped." Masaoka says as his eyes sharpen and his finger begins to squeeze the trigger.

the female agent quickly yells, "Stop it!" she grabs Masaoka and struggles to keep him from firing. The hostage finally snaps and crawls away to the stairs only to stumble and fall down its flight.

Corvo takes action and blinks to the bottom of the stairs, catching the woman in his arms. He blinks to a nearby rooftop and carefully lays her down. He removes his mask and says in a quiet voice, "It's okay. I'm here to protect you."

She backs away and suddenly responds in English, "No...killer!"

Corvo sees the fear in her eyes. There was no way this panicked woman would believe him. So he pulls out his sword and tosses it to the side. "I won't harm you my dear. You're safe with me." he tells her with confidence.

the woman stops shaking and begins to cry as she mustered her strength to smile. Corvo returns the smile and fixes her clothes. He then tells her, "I will take you to a doctor. Do you know where he lives?"

she stares at him confused. He then thinks, _'She's not very good at speaking my language.' _He places a hand on his chest and says, "Doctor...Doctor..do..you..know..where?"

She nods. Corvo inwardly sighs in relief. He puts on his mask and walks towards his thrown blade. As he picks it up, he hears hurried footsteps. "Don't move!" yelled a familiar voice.

Corvo turns and sees the source-Kansayaku Ginoza. The man was pointing his gun at him.

The glasses wearing man kept the gun aimed at Corvo and let the weapon do its magic.

_"Target coefficient is blue. Not authorized for firing." _the gun informed him. His eyes narrowed. "What is the meaning of this? The Dominator must be faulty. He's a clear criminal." He spoke aloud.

Corvo looked at him with a worried face underneath his mask. _'Though they are officers of the law, they've put justice far higher than mercy. I can't leave her with such men. But if I take her away, the hunt will not end. What should I do?' _He looks at the woman, a sincere look of doubt underneath his mask. The woman felt it too when she saw him turn to her. She realized what she had to do.

She shook her head and smiled at him despite her bruised and battered face. She then stood up and ran to the direction Ginoza came from. The man in question noticed her and aimed his gun at her and fired. She drops, completely paralyzed. Ginoza then aims the gun back at Corvo only to realize that the masked man was gone. "Damn." he cursed. He lowered his gun and put a hand to his earpiece. "This is Ginoza. I've captured the hostage. Kagari, Kunizuka, return to my position and call for an ambulance."

"Done already? Man you guys are fast." Kagari, the orange haired agent, answered.

"At least it's over." Kunizuka, the black-haired, ponytailed, female agent quipped.

Ginoza then said, "Tsunemori, did you take down the criminal?"

The brown haired, female agent paused for a moment before answering, "No...you won't believe who did."

"I see." Ginoza answered, irritation dripping in his voice. "I expect a full report and debriefing tomorrow. Prepare yourself."

With that, Ginoza cut off all calls, leaving Inspector Tsunemori with a pile of work and worry on her shoulders. She dropped her head slightly to see the dead body of Nobuo Okura. Suddenly, Masaoka put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It's over Inspector. Let's call it a day and get some sleep."

the woman weakly replied, "Yes..." After everything that happened, sleep seemed to be the last thing she wanted.

**~0~**

Akane Tsunemori slept in her bed that night dreaming of the events that transpired. From the chase, to the conflict and the resolution. She remembered the masked man and saw herself standing there aiming her gun at him. But the gun warned her that he was blue and not a viable target. She still tried to pull the trigger but it wouldn't budge. All the while the masked man kept moving forward, his bloody blade in hand. She panicked as he approached. But as he was midway to her, he suddenly disappeared. She looked around in fear. Where was he?

Suddenly he appeared in front of her, yanks and throws the gun away from her. She tried to scream but her voice fell silent. The masked man pulled away his mask, to reveal The Outsider's face behind it.

"Inspector Tsunemori. First day on the job, and death greets you. You did well despite the cold welcome from the assassin." Suddenly, rats flow out of his black coat and spread out in different directions. The inspector tiptoes to evade the rats and barely gets her courage together to look at the Outsider.

"Not afraid?" the Outsider answers. "You fascinate me. Not like the assassin, but enough to grab my attention. Maybe one day, I will gift you with my mark and you can see what hides behind that mask." With that last statement, the Outsider disappears.

She rises out of bed, a haggard look in her eyes. Peering around, she sees her apartment. It was small and spacious, enough for a couple to live in. With familiarity in her sight, she calms down before remembering what happened the day before. Pulling the blanket over her face she says, "What the heck happened?"

**~0~**

After a brief moment to collect herself, Akane goes through her daily routine. She sets the ambience to a Victorian suite, takes a hot shower and eats some chinese food, measured to her daily health requirements. A life many would envy.

Akane finishes her meal and goes to her mirror and pulls out a makeup kit. A holofield interface pops up and she begins going through a selection of clothing, letting the digital interface, project the fabrics onto her body. She picks a nice, casual, brown long-sleeved coat over a cream colored blouse and finishes the look with pink stockings, a white skirt and black high heels. She then walks out of her apartment to meet up with old friends. She figured, she needed a break from all the stress the day before.

**~0~**

Arriving at the veranda on top of a modern building, Akane sat beside two other women discussing the issues of their lives.

"So you messed up, huh?" said the brown haired girl in a ponytail.

"Yeah," Akane answered. "Though, since I work for the MWPSB, I can't give you the details."

Their other friend, the long, brown haired one with glasses, answers, "Though I don't know much about these things, but what you did wasn't in violation of your duties, right?"

Akane dropped her head and said, "Well, yeah..."

The long haired girl answers, "Then you don't have to worry. Besides, your Psycho-Pass isn't that clouded either. Isn't it that you're not really bothered by it."

Akane complains, "Oh, don't be mean! I couldn't sleep at all last night. And when I actually got some, this weird masked guy shows up.(sigh) I wonder if I chose the right career, working with the Public Safety Bureau."

And with that, her friends snapped. They scolded her about how blessed she was compared to them and their blue-collar jobs. And then, her ponytailed friend suddenly says, "Akane, you were an honor student who scored 700 points in the last exam. Any job should be a piece of cake, right?"

Akane sheepishly looks down. She felt incredibly embarrassed by their teasing. Her long-haired friend smiled and said, "Sorry. We teased you too much. But I think you are capable of pulling off that job. It's not just because of the aptitude the System indicated. My intuition as your friend says so, too."

The other friend added, "What needs to be done, is done by those capable of doing it. Such is the grace bestowed upon mankind by Sybil."

Akane was amazed by what they said. It not only encouraged her, but helped answer her dilemma. However, it didn't resolve the most pressing one.

_'That guy in the mask...who was he? And why is he blue?'_ Akane wondered.

Her watch rang. She looked at it and noticed is was time for her shift. The agent faced her friends and said, "I have to go now. See you guys."

"Take care." said her long haired friend.

"Are you really okay now?" asked the ponytailed one.

Akane brightly replied, "Yeah. I'm okay. We'll just write up the paperwork and file it like usual."

But her ponytailed friend frowned and said, "But you said it was total mess. Shouldn't you be worried?"

Akane smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've got the case covered from top to bottom. I mean what's the worse that could happen?"

**~0~**

"This is the worst case scenario for our unit." Inspector Ginoza coldly stated to Akane and the rest of the hunting dogs. Currently, they were all seated in their computer chairs, facing the cranky Inspector, in a rectangular, glass-walled office. They were about to write down their reports on PC when the Inspector came rushing in with bad news.

"Well we've been through worse. Don't worry. We'll resolve it like old times." said Masaoka.

Ginoza calmly stated, "The results from Sybil's Registration came in. The Masked Man is not a citizen of the country. No name, record, or address."

"What about the flight registry?" Yayoi Kunizuka asks.

Ginoza answers, "No one in or out of the airport saw a man of his build. It's the same with the harbor. It doesn't make sense."

"He's probably an illegal immigrant. Happens all the time. Sybil can't see everything in the country." Shusei Kagari answers offhandedly.

Ginoza suddenly yells, "The Sybil System is not faulty! Everyone that enters and exits the city is counted and monitored by Sybil."

Akane weakly chuckles as she thinks, _'But that guy's like living proof of its flaws.'_

Ginoza briefly glares at Akane before returning his gaze to the unit. "The Brass has ordered us to hunt him down and bring him in, dead or alive."

Masaoka gets up and says, "So how do we catch a guy who can disappear at will? The Dominators don't work either."

"The Dominators have been sent to R&D(_Research and Development_) for evaluation. We'll get new ones very soon. In the meantime, the Brass has issued older models for the case. You can acquire them in the Storage Room." Ginoza mentioned.

"You never answered the question Ginoza-san." Shusei slyly replies. "So how do we catch a ghost?"

Ginoza looks at him briefly, then turns his head away.

"I guess even the Inspector can't answer this one." Shusei jeers. "But I'm getting excited. I can't wait to catch that guy."

Ginoza clears his throat and continues. "We also have another case. Our informants have told us that a syndicate from overseas has entered our country. It's also not a coincidence that they came during campaign week for City Mayor. According to our informants, they've been making ties with the local government prior to elections and entering the city."

"Do we have a watch list on our suspects?" Masaoka asked.

Ginoza answered, "Inspector Tsunemori was to give it out yesterday but lost the folder after bumping into the Masked Man before he committed a crime."

Akane blushed and dropped her head in shame. "I'm really sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Whoa! That's amazing!" Shusei exclaimed. "You met him before he killed that guy. That's really unlucky."

"Your luck is amazing Inspector. It's like the cases find you." Masaoka lightheartedly said. "By the way, did he have any unique traits?"

Akane, still blushing, replied, "He had big hands and spoke in English."

"Is that all?" Yayoi asked.

Akane nodded and Ginoza replied, "At least, we're able to narrow it down."

Masaoka added, "All we have to do now is put his picture on every wall in Tokyo."

"No." Ginoza answered. "If we publicize him, both the department and Sibyl would be under scrutiny. Until we can remove his escape routes, we keep it quiet and take him down without suspicion."

Akane sighed and thought, _'This is turning out to be a really sucky day.'_

But as she did that, she saw a black rat pass under her and it freaked her out for a moment. Yayoi was about to step on it but it swerved away from her foot and into a nearby vent.

"Tch...slippery bastard." Yayoi snarled.

The rat traveled up the vents, all the way to the roof and as it exited the roof vent, a black smoky figure emerged from the rat, leaving it to become a smelly corpse. The smoky figure stood tall on the rooftop before shaping into Corvo. The masked assassin thought, _'So this is why The Outsider sent me here. I thought I was over this. But it seems, I can't escape fate. The portal can wait. My work cannot.'_

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Dishonored totally rocks. I love it's gameplay, storyline, and characters. Then I started to watch Psycho-Pass and this was born.

I haven't written in a long time so my skills are rusty at best but I can assure you, it will be well written. Maybe even more than my last.

The biggest challenge I faced with writing this story is our silent hero-Corvo. his in-game dialogue gives almost no hints at his personality which is great for a game, not a story. So I hate to say this but I will shape his character. Now for the other half of the crossover. Psycho-Pass is like Ghost in the Shell. Investigate, Capture/Kill Suspect, call it a day. What makes it interesting is that it's a classic police story with technology. Also, criminals are found using a system that measures a person's psyche. It's biggest flaw, is their system only gives the results, not the process that leads to it. As such, criminals can be perfectly 'healthy' after or in the process of committing a crime. If he believes it's not a crime, then he doesn't worry and the system shows that.

So when it came to crossing these two giants, I realized that Corvo will have to be more than just an assassin to survive. He needs a strong, moral compass. A creed if you will. His hidden blade *Ahem*...I mean, sword alone will not win the day. Because at the end, the battle starts with the mind. Lose it, and you will lose the life with it.

For those familiar with my work, I am not dead. I've been busy with real life(REALLY BUSY) and haven't been able to write down anything. In fact, I got so busy I forgot about fanfiction all together till I wrote this story. By the time I finished it though, I remembered I had several other works still on hiatus. Very bad.

Anyway, to those who have read this story, Thank You. Please drop a review as soon as you can. I need the feedback to see where this story is going.

Have a nice day everyone. I'll see you later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **_Blend_

* * *

Corvo stood on the roof of MWPSB tower. He had just finished listening in on Akane Tsunemori's conversation with her colleagues and realized the importance of the folder he picked up the day before. He took out the classified folder from his jacket and browsed through the files seeing three profiles.

The first was a bald man with a scar on his lip named **Shu Chang**. He was a Chinese business man dealing with the overseas trade of industrial electronics. He is also a prime suspect of many smuggling incidents in southeast Asia. According to his profile, he is temperamental but a coward.

The second was a man with spiked black hair named **Ivan Powell**. A Russian lawyer by profession whose name pops up in three major vice rings...the prostitution ring, the drug ring, and the gambling ring. Has a photographic memory and cannot live a day without a _woman's comfort_.

The last was a man with cropped, black hair named **Vince Jackal**. An African-American with a history of gun-running and mercenary work. Was a former Delta Force operative until he was discovered selling information to Al Qaeda. Now he makes his living running an international PMC corporation, selling soldiers and weaponry to the highest bidder. Rarely shows himself in public because of his high criminal profile.

Corvo closed the folder and thought, _'Three names, three deaths. But now the hard part begins. Where will I find them? I don't even know my way around this city. I'll have to start by finding the underbelly and work my way up.'_

He raised his left hand and the symbol on the back of it glowed. A rat appeared in his hand and jumped off to the floor. Corvo then possessed the rat and moved his way down the vent. His day will be a long one.

**~0~**

He walked through the same slums of his debut as the masked vigilante. Thankfully, he had enough common sense to hide his mask and try to act as casual as possible as he asked the locals while waving the pictures of the three men in their faces. But, because of a language barrier his acts were useless. As he passed by a local fruit stand, he frowned in frustration. _'I never knew how hard it was to get information. The Loyalists' had it bad trying to root out anything about those Snakes. All that trouble just for me to kill them.'_

As he let that thought sink in, he noticed the many people staring at him. There was no way they knew about him. The MWPSB hasn't released anything. Maybe its his attire? He did dress differently. Or maybe...it was trouble.

Corvo turned around and instinctively raised his right hand, grabbing the steel pipe that was about to kiss his head. Looking at who held it, he saw it was a rough looking Japanese man in a wife beater and black shorts. Next to him were two skinheads of similar build with gold chains on their necks.

The armed man tried to pull the pipe free but Corvo wouldn't budge. He gave them the worst stare down of their lives. They hesitated for a moment allowing Corvo to kick the first offender in the gut, freeing him from the pipe. Wielding the pipe like a sword, he prepared himself for battle. But then Corvo felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. He fell and heard several screams before blacking out.

**~0~**

Corvo saw nothing but black. He knew one of the three things had happened.

A) He was captured, again, by a criminal group.

B) He was killed by a fourth man of the gang earlier.

C) The MWPSB caught up to him and took him down.

Corvo began to feel his arms and legs again. He felt he was left hanging from something. There was a feeling of steel binding his hands to whatever was keeping him from the ground. He also felt a rough cloth tied over his head. He tried opening his eyes and still saw black. The cloth was too thick to see through. Then he heard footsteps approach. It sounded like they were tapping on wood. And then the sound of a door opening. Four sets of feet walk in and stop.

"So this is the guy?" said a low voice.

"He's the one. Tall asshole kept asking questions. You said this could never happen." said a slightly higher voice.

"You're blaming me now? It's your job to keep me secured so why aren't you doing it?!" replied the low voice. "I have a deal going down at the docks tomorrow and I can't be late. I want him in pieces by the time I get back."

Footsteps are heard marching out the room. The sound of the door closing, tells Corvo that he needed to escape. Suddenly his bindings free up and he falls to the ground. He hears footsteps approach and stop.

"This is the man who scared my master? I'm disappointed." said the slightly higher voice.

Corvo felt a hand grab the cloth over his head and yank it out, allowing him to see it was the man who attacked him earlier.

"You're a long way from home Corvo. You're lucky my master wants you alive." the thug answered in English.

He pulled Corvo to his feet and said, "I'm Kenta Watanabe. I work for a friend of yours. I'm undercover now so I'll skip the details and get you to speed. You're in **Shu Chang's** hideout and the only way out is through the main entrance left of here. It's guarded but if you get passed them, you'll be home free. Your things are in the storeroom next door."

Kenta gave him a small card and said, "It's a cardkey for the storeroom. Slide it in the yellow box outside the door and you're in. The master is waiting at the _Red Lion_ in Shinjuku. He'll tell the rest."

Kenta turned around and walked out the door leaving Corvo confused. _'A friend...sounds like the Outsider's work.' _Corvo thought._ 'He must've resurrected another person from my world. Now I'm wondering who.'_

But there was little time to ponder. He needed to escape while he could. He stealthily walked out the door and entered a dimly lit, stone hallway. it was tall but narrow and filled with trash and broken glass. He saw the room Kenta mentioned and quickly slid the cardkey on the slot of the yellow box. The door slid into the wall, allowing Corvo access to the storeroom. It was filled with boxes of electronic devices, piled into rough stacks in that rectangular room. But it was heavily guarded by three thugs. Corvo ducked from cover to cover, using the boxes to avoid their line of sight. As he hid behind another pile, he noticed his blade and mask on the seat of a chair across him. There was nothing for him to hide behind on the way and a thug was leaning on the wall, guarding it.

_'A distraction would be good.' _thought Corvo. He looked around and saw nothing to throw. He placed his left palm on the floor and summoned a rat. He was about to possess it when...

"There he is!" yelled a thug who just ran through the door. The other thugs joined him and charged to Corvo's location.

_'What the?!' _thought Corvo as the thugs closed in.

The thug by the wall pulled out a knife from his pocket and closed in. Corvo decided to take his chances and threw the rat at the thug's face, distracting him enough for the assassin to beeline to the chair and grab his mask and blade. He quickly tucked the mask in his trench coat, brandished his sword, and took a defensive stance as the four thugs pulled out knives and brass knuckles from their pockets and surrounded him.

One thug, the one who yelled earlier, said, "Sneaking around like a ninja? Fat chance. We've got camera's all over the place."

Corvo still couldn't understand what he said but he got the word 'ninja' and 'kamera'. He filed those away in his head as he realized how badly he needed to know their language.

All the thugs charged but Corvo leaped over them and landed a few feet behind them. Without wasting time, he made a run for the door only for it to slide shut. He was about to pull out his key card when he felt danger behind him. He quickly rolled to the side, evading the knife that could have stabbed his back. He faced the thug, seeing the knife in the man's right hand. Corvo stepped in and used his left hand to grab the man's knife hand keeping it in check. The assassin thrust his sword under the man's chin, letting the blade poke through the brain and emerge through the top of the head. He pulled away his weapon, leaving the man dead. He turned to the other thugs who wildly charged forward in rage. Corvo quickly jumped on top of a nearby pile of boxes, hoping to get an advantage.

The thugs climbed the boxes leaving them open for attack. Corvo thrust his sword through the eye of one thug, piercing the brain behind it. The thug fell down, making the remaining two thugs anxious as they climbed faster. But Corvo was sharp and saw their exposed necks. He slashed one thug's neck before stabbing the left hand of the other. The thug screamed as Corvo grabbed him by the neck and pulled him up. He stabbed the man's heart, ending his life. Corvo pulled away his blade, threw the corpse, and leaped to the door. He pulled out his cardkey and slid the card on the slot, letting the door slide open. He walked out, prepared to face the worst.

**~0~**

The hallway was filled with shouts of panic and anger. Several thugs rushed to the hallway, ready to face Corvo. The assassin saw that he was outnumbered but that hallway was the only way out. He really needed a grenade right now. One thug madly ran at Corvo with crowbar in hand. The thug reached him and took a swipe at him. Corvo locked his sword with the weapon before using his size and strength to push the weapon away. He held his blade high with both hands and slashed down, severing through the thug's collarbone, ribs and heart. He pulled it out and dashed to the thugs in the hallway entrance and quickly stabbed through a man's chest, pushing forward with corpse in tow. He moved through the several tables and chairs of that room till he made it to the entrance. The thugs gave chase but were stalled when Corvo threw their dead comrade at them before exiting through the door. He noticed he was surrounded by warehouses on all sides. He hastily ran through an alley, thugs on his tail.

"You're going down gaijin!" yelled one of the thugs.

Corvo sheathed his blade and tucked it in his trench coat as he turned right on a corner. He accidentally bumps into a lady but pushes forward. He briefly looks back and sees the thugs still giving chase. _'Damn. It was mistake to run. But I can't kill them here. I have to find a secluded area.'_ thought Corvo.

Corvo turns right into an alleyway and notices a low hanging, roofed overpass. He leaps high and enters through its window before crouching down behind its wall. The thugs enter the alleyway and look around for their prey. They bump and push through trashcans and a few people as they scanned the area. Meanwhile Corvo took a peek every few seconds, making sure not to give his position away. He heard a faint footstep and looked to his right to see a young girl eating ice cream at the end of the overpass. Corvo smiled and put his finger over his mouth in a 'shushing' position. The girl kept eating her ice cream as Corvo crept to the opposite direction of the girl and into the dark building.

**~0~**

Having evaded his captors, Corvo now stood outside the _Red Lion_ in Shinjuku. It was a tall building about four stories high. Corvo had so many questions and hoped that whoever knew him and freed him could answer them and clear the confusion running through his mind.

He walked through the door and saw a familiar sight. It was a spacious bar with back to back couches and tables and a bar in the back of the room. Even the bartender looked like a Dunwall barkeep. It was so homely. Too homely. The place was an exact replica of the Hound Pits Pub's bar.

_'Outsider...who did you send for me?'_ thought Corvo. There were only a few people who knew the pub intimately to replicate it. Was it Piero? He was smart enough for it. Sokolov also fits but he didn't know the pub that well. Callista also fits but so did the rest of the Loyalists.

As he pondered, a bearded Japanese man, the same height as Corvo, walked up to him and said, "The master has been expecting you. He's on the 2nd floor, third door."

Corvo nodded and walked passed the man to the stairs. He knew the way. He climbed up to the 2nd floor and walked to the third door. He paused briefly and braced himself for who he would see behind that door. Facing his fears, he opens the door and walks through only to be shocked at who was there.

Standing behind a wooden desk was a black haired, white man in a red shirt and brown, cargo pants with sneakers to finish the look. His sharp grey eyes spoke of sorrow and lethargy, a testament to his age. The man looked at Corvo and a faint smile shone on his face.

"Not who you were expecting?" the man asked him.

Corvo sharpens his gaze and says, "No...not at all...Daud."

Daud walked around his desk and stood in front of Corvo, taking a look at his old foe. "I know you're wondering why I'm here. After you stole my coins and keys, I retired and died of old age. Afterwards, the Outsider resurrected me in my prime and let me go into a new world. I chose this world and have been living here for more than twenty years."

Corvo replied, "So I wasn't the first?"

Daud crossed his arms and said, "No. He opened this world twenty years prior then returned to watching you."

"I see." Corvo answers. His gaze then shifts into a look of confusion as he asks, "Why did you help me?"

Daud turns around and picks up a glass of wine from his desk. He takes a sip and says. "You spared my life once Corvo and I'll never forget that." Daud faces him and says, "That takes real courage. The power to forgive is not an ability. It's a gift."

Corvo's gaze sharpens. He wasn't sure why Daud was acting sincere. Daud was never like this until his final moments as an assassin.

"You doubt me. To be expected." Daud quipped. "There's another reason I freed you. I need your help in taking down the **Red Ring Syndicate**. There's no money in it but with the Red Rings gone, the mayor will be re-elected and there will be peace for another four years." Daud promptly places his glass on the desk and faces Corvo.

Corvo answers, "Why do you need me?"

Daud replies, "When I entered this world, I didn't have my old powers. It was harder to protect my people even before the Red Rings. But when they came, I realized we didn't have the power to face them. Then last night, the Outsider visited me and told me that you were here. That you still had his mark."

Corvo asked, "Did the Outsider also ask you to build the pub?"

Daud answered, "Yes. He showed it to me twenty years ago and it's been thriving since."

Corvo notices Daud tensing up. He then tells him, "Then keep it that way. I'll take care of the Red Rings. But before I do, tell me the _other_ reason you want them gone."

Daud was surprised. He didn't expect Corvo to see through him. But, since Corvo was agreeing to help him and since he wanted to earn the man's trust, he laid bare his burden. "Okay..." Daud quipped as he took a moment to prepare himself. after a few seconds, he answered, "The Red Rings caught me when I got too close. They made me a deal... as long as I don't bother them, they won't harm my wife and child."

Now it was Corvo's turn to be shocked. "I didn't know. Where are they now?"

Daud answered, "Safe. I divorced my wife to keep her far from them. Our daughter is working for the MWPSB. I haven't heard from them since."

Corvo began to see that Daud was being sincere. Corvo then asked, "How can I be sure that you're telling the truth?"

Daud dropped his head and said, "You don't. But you have my word." Daud faces him and says with conviction, "I'm throwing my pride away for the sake of my family and I'll do anything to see them safe. You should understand. Emily was a daughter to you."

Corvo was truly taken aback. Here was Daud, Dunwall's greatest assassin, begging him to keep his family safe from harm. _'Daud...I can feel conviction in your words. I'm not sure I can fully trust you, but at the least, I know you're doing this for more than yourself.'_

Corvo then asks, "How do I get to the Red Rings?"

Daud looks shocked for a moment as a tinge of excitement filled his heart. But snaps out of it and returns to his desk and sits behind it on his computer chair. The desk had the same items as the ones in the offices of the MWPSB. There was a desktop PC and touch screen keyboard interface. the CPU was built into the screen allowing for more space for the wine bottle, glass, and several papers and pens to sit beside it.

"The ring leaders don't meet unless something went wrong with their operations." Daud answered as he browsed through several files on his computer.

"So we sabotage them and kill all three." Corvo concludes.

"That's the plan. Right now **Shu Chang** is away on business but my informant tells me the ring leader made a deal with the chief of Hachioji Drone Factory. Infiltrate the factory, find out what went down, and kill the chief." Daud explains.

Corvo went over to Daud's side and saw the picture of the chief. He was a fairly middle-aged man with a double chin, glasses and prim, black hair. "What did he do to deserve the blade?"

Daud answered, "He killed my informant's father right in front of us as his initiation into the Red Rings. Ever since, most smuggling operations have been linked to him. We begin the OP tomorrow. First, go see Kenta and get some clothes."

Corvo nodded and said, "Done."

He walks to the door only for Daud to say, "Corvo...Thank You."

Corvo silently walks out the door.

**~0~**

Corvo walks down the stairs, seeing Kenta leaning on the doorway. Kenta walks out, prompting Corvo to follow. The pair walk out the bar and into the busy streets. They walk into an alleyway and Kenta tells him, "You were sloppy."

Corvo answers, "How?"

Kenta replies, "You asked too many questions. The people here fear the Red Rings and tipped them off to stop you. And then you got caught by their security cameras. Now they'll be looking for you."

"Camera...I've heard that before. What is it?" Corvo asks.

Kenta looks up and answers, "See that thing on the lamppost?"

Corvo looks and sees a white machine, attached to the lamppost. It was swiveling from left to right.

Kenta explains, "That's a camera. It captures real time events to be viewed by its user. Be aware of them. They catch you...you'll be tomorrow's headlines."

Kenta walks next to the lamppost and says, "But they have their weaknesses. If you hack their control panel, you can shut them off, or loop the last forty seconds and make it look like you were never there. Worst case, you kill it. They'll know something's wrong, but they won't know what's happening there."

Corvo asks him, "You said loop the last forty seconds. Can they do it too?"

Kenta answers, "Now you're getting it. Each camera records what they see. All the recordings are kept and viewed in the control room. If you get caught, you can go to the control room and destroy the recordings."

Corvo and Kenta walk some more and enter a clothing store. Kenta hands Corvo a card. "It's a credit card. You use it to charge items you can't pay now. Daud's paying the first charge. The rest, you'll do yourself."

Corvo took the card and browsed the racks. He saw many apparels there and picked a few up. He went into the dressing room and quickly changed his attire. When he exited, Kenta saw that Corvo wore a black, hooded, leather trench coat over a black T-shirt. He also wore a black military belt to fasten his trench coat over his shirt and the same colored pants and blackish grey boots.

"Looks good." Kenta quips.

Corvo paid the cashier using the credit card, and went on his way with Kenta. The informant explained to him of the world he was in. He told him about cars, cell phones, computers, ticket booths, buildings and government most especially the MWPSB and how they and their weapons functioned in concert with the Sybil System. Corvo listened carefully, making sure everything sank in. He had much to learn and had to learn it fast.

As the two walked through the busy streets, Corvo asked, "Is there a way I can learn the language?"

Kenta answered, "You can practice with the barkeep. He used to be a language teacher till the Red Rings burned down his school."

Corvo then asked, "One more thing, where can I get weapons?"

Kenta replies, "The black market down in the docks. Civilians aren't allowed to get weapons so make do with the cheap knock offs."

"Show me." Corvo curtly replied.

"You're in luck." Kenta answered as they stopped right in front of a shopping mall. "My guy works there. He's got the best shipment in the city."

**~0~**

Arriving at the docks, Corvo and Kenta walk through a broken fence. They move to a stand where three Japanese men sat behind.

"Sonny, this is Corvo." Kenta said to the Japanese man in a cream colored coat with a blonde corn rose and black shades.

"Nice to meet you Corvo. I've heard alot about you." Sonny answered as he stood up and shook Corvo's hand. "What can I do for you?"

Corvo tells him, "I've heard you sell weapons."

Sonny laughs and says, "Not just any weapon. The BEST weapons!"

The blonde man pulls out an Ipad-like interface from his coat. On it, was a list of all the weapons he had in stock. It ranged from guns to choppers, tanks to missiles. Sonny showed the device to Corvo and said, "I've got all the guns and bullets you'll ever need. Just don't tell anyone where you bought it."

Corvo swept his fingers on the screen, just as Kenta explained. It was still amazing to see such a powerful tool in such a flat piece of material. Corvo browsed through the list and saw several grenades and handguns. He pressed on each item he wanted and handed the device back to Sonny.

"Not a bad list." Sonny said. He then read it aloud. "That's 2 flashbangs, 2 grenades, 4 smoke grenades, a rewiring kit, 5 sticky mines, dart gun with tranq rounds, and a silenced 22 caliber pistol."

Sonny snaps his fingers and the other two men walk away to get the items on the list. "Looks like Sonny is making money today. By the way, you do know I don't take credit."

Corvo hesitated to speak.

Sonny chuckles and says, "I'm just joking. Daud already paid for them. He said you were going on a mission. Never did say what. But I'm a little curious."

Kenta answered, "Just stick to selling guns Sonny. For your own good."

"One day Kenta, you're gonna let me in on it." Sonny answered.

Soon enough, the two men came in with several boxes on a cart. Sonny swept his hand in an 'after-you' gesture. Corvo obliged and collected his equipment. He hid them all under his jacket, making sure they were properly concealed. Fully equipped, Corvo and Kenta leave the docks and return to the pub. Once inside, Kenta tosses a key to Corvo.

"Your room is on the fourth floor. Get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow." Kenta quips before leaving the pub.

Corvo takes the key and walks up the stairs to the fourth floor. He opens the door and sees an almost familiar sight. There were people sleeping on the floor around one of those 'TVs'. Corvo tiptoes around them and enters the doorway to see his old room, just like in Dunwall. The assassin undresses to his pants and places his clothing and equipment on his table. He sits on the bed momentarily as he let his mind unwind.

_'Life is so fast here.' _thought Corvo. _'How unexpected this world is. Information doubles each year, people eat on the go and transportation can be fast and far reaching using 'airplanes'. This makes our golden age pale in comparison. I can see why Daud settled down here. This peace is wonderful.'_

Corvo lay down and drifted off to sleep. He slept well and woke up feeling refreshed and alive yet something felt off. He walked through the doorway to see a familiar place...the Outsider's domain.

_'Here we go again.' _thought Corvo. He walked up the stone steps to the top where he saw the Outsider, in his human form, waiting for him.

"Once again thrust into violence." said the Outsider. "And yet, not a single complaint? You're quite the hero Corvo. But courage alone does not suffice. So I present to you a new tool, made by my hands."

A grayish mask appeared in the Outsider's hand. He walked over to Corvo and handed him the mask. It was a skull mask, more complete and far scarier than Corvo's current one. It looked smooth but it felt like it was coated in metal scales.

The Outsider told him, "Wearing this mask clothes you in your equipment. Go now, and show the world your power as you see fit. Your journey Corvo, interests me." he Outsider disappears and Corvo sees black.

**~0~**

Corvo wakes up for real and sits up. He looks around the room for a moment before looking back at the desk next to his bed. On top of it was his clothing and weapons. He walked over to it and pulled out the mask. It had changed and was exactly like the one the Outsider gave him. Corvo put on the mask and when he did, his clothing and equipment were no longer on the desk. He went to the mirror in the corner and saw that he was already wearing his outfit. He took off the mask and his attire stayed.

_'Now I won't worry about losing my wallet.'_ Corvo thought.

He tucked his mask into his jacket and walked out of the room and down the stairs to the bar. There, he saw Daud and Kenta seated at the bar table. Corvo went over and sat with them.

Daud looked at Corvo and said, "We've got a problem. Hachioji Drone Factory is going to be investigated for a recent murder at the plant."

Corvo asks, "Can we still do it?"

Daud answers, "Not while the police are there. Wait for them to exit the building then get to work. Kenta will guide you to the factory and extract you when its over."

Corvo replied, "Let's get to it."

Kenta stood up and said, "C'mon. I'll teach you how to use a cell phone and hack electronics with it."

Corvo stood up as well and both men walked out the pub, preparing for the worst.

**~0~**

Meanwhile, Akane Tsunemori and Inspector Ginoza were in a car, on their way to the Drone Factory. Tailing them was the Paddy Wagon, carrying the Enforcers to support them in this case.

"The victim is Daisuke Shiyoyama, 27 years old." Inspector Ginoza told his colleague as he held the wheel. "He worked at the Hachioji Drone Factory. His body was found at exactly 4am. They said he was dismembered by a Drone he was testing."

Akane put her hand under her chin. "Do you think...it was an accident?"

Inspector Ginoza replied, "I heard that this is already the third casualty in the past year at this factory. It's clearly unusual."

As they drove, Ginoza expounded on the case. "The body was found in the Drone's behavior inspection section, the only manned area in the completely production line. About fifty debuggers are there around the clock."

Akane asked, "Is that a live-in job?"

Ginoza answered, "If over 1000 drones need to be maintained by a few personnel, they have no choice but to work around the clock. If you install a program that induces malfunction in a drone before its tested, there's a good chance you can make it look like an accident."

Akane understood what he was implying. It was a possible murder case. One, they needed to confirm on site. Ginoza continued to drive until he reached the white building. He parked the car in the front parking while the Paddy Wagon parked beside it. Ginoza unbuckled his seatbelt as Akane looked out the window and saw Shinya Kogami and the rest of the Enforcers. She smiled and said, "Inspector Ginoza...even though things have been rough, I feel like I'll be able to get along well with the Enforcers."

Ginoza studied her briefly. "Do you mean get along with them as colleagues? Or do you mean as their handler?"

Akane was taken aback by his poison tipped words but Ginoza wasn't finished. The man said, "They say that fools learn from their experiences, while the wise learn from history. I hope you're not a fool."

Akane pouted as Ginoza stepped out of the car. He briefly faced her and said, "In any case, once this one is solved, we will proceed to the syndicate case. I believe you have a new copy of the files now?"

Akane crossed her arms as she gave him an annoyed stare. "I already put it on your desk. No need to rub it in." _'Gosh, he's so irritating.'_

Ginoza turned around and went on his way to the building. Akane stepped out of the car as well and pulled out a Colt 1911 from behind her. She looked at it briefly, curious of the ancient weapon.

"Ah, that takes me back." Masaoka said as he walked to her side.

"Masaoka-san, are you sure this thing is safe?" Akane asked.

"Of course. just keep the safety on." Masaoka replied. "It feels good to be carrying a pistol again. Dominators are nice and safe, but I still prefer this gun. There's no safe shot so its up to you to make the judgment call."

"That sounds very dangerous." Akane replied. She then asked, "So if we see the masked man, do we... shoot him?"

Masaoka paused for a moment. He could tell she had doubts about the masked man. Akane was a true blue officer who believed in justice. She wanted to serve and protect. But who?

Masaoka put his hand on her shoulder and said, "That's for you to figure out. Part of being an inspector is knowing when to bring justice. If you think you can make that call, then don't hesitate."

Akane drooped her shoulders. "But I really don't think he's a bad guy. So why is he killing people?"

Masaoka saw the chief of the drone factory exit the front entrance to meet them. He faced the chief while telling Akane, "He probably believes he's one of us."

**~0~**

Corvo and Kenta were inside the factory, wearing the worker uniforms. They successfully blended in carrying boxes through the hallway of the assembly line. Corvo asked his partner, "Okay, let me get this straight. We walk into his office, plant a 'listening device' and 'hack' his 'computer'?"

Kenta answered, "Yep."

Corvo asked, "Why do we need to do that?"

Kenta replied, "So we can pin the smuggling Ops to him. He's gotta keep a record of every deal he ever made and it's probably on his computer. The listening device is just in case, another deal comes in by phone."

"It sounds like you're used to this." Corvo stated.

Kenta answered, "I used to work for an electronics company that built drones and computers. I was slated to be promoted too. Then all this happened and now I'm here spying for Daud."

Kenta paused for a moment to look at the window to their right. You could see the assembly line and the poor souls, slaving away to build machines for the city. Kenta's eyes softened a bit as he watched them. "Did you know that these people have to live here, everyday of their lives? No family, friends, or contact with anyone outside. It's a sad life and I wanted to change all that. I wanted to be chief of operations and changed the way we worked so that nobody has to be a drone all their life."

Corvo paused as he observed Kenta. He could tell this young man was subtly confessing about the details of his life. Though he didn't say it, Corvo knew that this company was Kenta's company. Corvo told him, "You still can. When this is over, you can go back and try again. There's still hope. Don't lose sight of it."

Kenta nodded. He faced the assassin and said, "Thank you Corvo. If we pull this off, I'm buying your drink tonight."

The doors on the opposite end of the hall slid open, allowing the detectives and the Drone factory chief to stroll through. As they did, the chief excitedly gave them a tour of the area. "We do a safety check as well as a test run, here after the Drones are built. We depend on machines for all the other processes, but the final checks still needs to be done by humans as it always has. As you can see it is dangerous work."

Corvo saw their faces and remembered them, especially Akane Tsunemori. He was surprised it was her team that was sent down here to investigate. Corvo whispered, "Kenta, look sharp."

As the policemen stopped to look at the assembly line, the factory chief noticed Corvo and Kenta. He eyed them with curiosity and walked to them. "What are you doing here? Work has already started."

Kenta replied in Japanese, "We were told to deliver these boxes to your office."

"Who told you?" Questioned the factory chief. He began to eye them wearily.

Kenta answered, "Some men who work for a guy named Chang."

The factory chief was getting suspicious and Corvo began to eye him with caution. Now was not the best time to get caught. There was only one way back and the police had them outnumbered. _'C'mon, bite the bait...'_ Thought Corvo.

The factory chief went closer to see the box. "It's rare for me to get a gift. I better take a look."

Corvo noticed sweat pour down the back of Kenta's head as the factory chief pulled out a cutter from his pocket. Kenta suddenly said, "They said that you should only open it in the office."

The police began to notice Kenta's nervousness. But without their dominators, they couldn't check his crime coefficient. Shinya on the other hand, had a better idea. He walked over to the box and took the cutter from the factory chief. "We're here on official police business. You won't mind if we open it?" He told them.

Kenta shook his head. He had no choice.

Shinya carefully sliced open the box. He opened it and revealed what was inside... pornographic magazines and CDs. Shinya was speechless. The other officers got curious of his reaction and went to take a look. Akane in particular, blushed at seeing the contents.

"Wooo!" whistled Shusei. "That's a lot...Woah! 'Michiko-chan's soapland paradise!' Your friend Chang is awesome!"

Yayoi smacked him on the head, and said, "Don't even think about it."

The chief was flustered and panic grew in his heart. He began to wave his hands around as he said, "A-ah...it-its...hey, I haven't shown you the final testing...yes, we have the best testers in the factory." He then went to Corvo and Kenta and began pushing them to the door he and the police came from. "G-go ahead and bring it to my office. I'll take care of that later."

The police, save for Ginoza and Akane, began to chuckle or smile at that last line. Corvo briefly looked back at Akane. She noticed his gaze just before he was shoved out.

**~0~**

Corvo and Kenta arrived at the chief's office. On the wall beside the glass doors was a nameplate that read, 'Chief Goda's Office of Operations'. Corvo looked left and right. Nobody was watching. Kenta however, noticed a camera on the far end of the wall, by the corner. He cursed and said, "Corvo, I need you to find the control panel and knock out this camera."

Corvo handed him his box and casually walked out, whilst turning on his dark vision. He traced the wire of the camera to a small panel near a ventilation shaft at the next corner. He silently walked there and saw no other cameras in the vicinity. He then knelt down by the ventilation, carefully opening the metal panel while occasionally peering through the corner of his eyes for trouble. When the panel came off, he saw the main wire and other similar wires.

_'Okay. He said loop the red wire. But they're all red.'_ thought Corvo. The assassin quickly fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a black cell phone. He sighed as he said, "This new technology is giving me a headache." Corvo then turned on the cell phone and managed to call Kenta's phone number. Putting the device to his ear, he heard it beep for a moment when Kenta answered. "What do you need?"

Corvo answered, "All the wires are red. What do I do?"

Kenta replied, "Look for the one that says 'Rec'. Pull that one out and switch it with the cell phone cable. The rest is yours."

Corvo did as he was told and the cell phone began hacking the camera. When he saw that the phone had looped the video feed, he pulled out the cable, and closed the metal panel. He walked back to Kenta's position and nodded at the man. Corvo took his box and Kenta took his as well and entered the office undetected. Thankfully the spacious, rectangular room had no cameras inside. Instead, it had a large set of TV screens that showed what the security cameras saw. Kenta placed his box by the wall and went over to the computer on top of the desk and began searching for the records they needed. Corvo put aside his box and pulled out a DSM from his pocket and plugged it to the PC's terminal and began extracting as much information as he could.

_'Everything's going smooth.' _Corvo thought. But then he looked at the cameras and noticed the police and chief Goda moving through a familiar corridor. Corvo suddenly said, "How much longer?"

Kenta looked at the screen and saw the same thing. "Five minutes tops. Damn. DSM takes 6." Kenta returned to the PC and searched faster. Corvo on the other hand decided to improvise. He walked to the door, prompting Kenta to say, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Stalling. Keep working. I'll distract them." Corvo said as he knelt by the door. The mark on his left hand glowed as the door slid open. Corvo peeked out and summoned rats by the corner. They jumped out of a black portal of shadow in the floor and splashed their way into a run, straight for the corridor where the cops were going to show up. Kenta saw the whole thing and was more than surprised.

"Daud was right. You really have magic." Kenta said in awe.

Corvo walked back in, letting the door shut. He replied, "So did _He_. I just kept mine longer."

Both of them watched the screen, seeing the rats scare the cops and chief Godo. Thankfully the cops were more than a match for the rats and slowly but surely fought them off. Corvo and Kenta went to work on the PC. They needed a few more minutes.

Kenta told him, "Daud said you had a lot of powers. Think you could stop time for a bit?"

Corvo answered, "I could, but only mine."

**~0~**

Akane accidentally stepped on a rat as she shook off the rest. _'Where the hell did they come from?!'_

Masaoka yelled out, "There's too many of them! We're gonna have to run for it."

Ginoza yelled out, "This is insane! This is not possible!"

Yayoi answered, "It is! Deal with it!"

Shinya quickly took a hold of the frightened chief Godo and pulled out his 1911. He fired several shots, downing the rats. He continued to step on them till they turned tail back to the nearest ventilation. Shinya looked around then back to his team. Most had scratches and cuts but nothing that won't heal. Chief Godo was alright as well, though visibly shaking.

"Are you alright chief?" Shinya asked.

The man barely got his composure but when he did, he yelled out in hysteria. "What was that?! Rats in my building?! What is maintenance doing?!"

"Ah, he seems good." Shusei dryly joked.

Chief Godo was now pissed off. Not once did he get this humiliated. He was losing credibility and face. He needed to get to the bottom of the problem and root it out before it destroys his already crippled reputation. But first, he needed to take control. He stood straight and said, "I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. I'll check with maintenance to see what caused this. Now let's finish this investigation so we can all go home."

While chief Godo led the way, the Inspectors and Enforcers filed away the rat incident as a clue. Something was very off with this case and their hairs rose at that.

Chief Godo led them to his office. He walked closer until the doors slid open to reveal an empty room. It was as if no one had entered it. Of course, the two boxes from earlier were stacked by the wall. Chief Godo went to his computer and saw everything was in order. He showed all the files needed to get the investigation running. He was in control again. Even when they got stubborn about pushing for in depth examination of all the staff, all he had to do was mention the Ministry of Economy and everything was back in his control. The police left the office unsatisfied and began wandering the premises, while chief Godo remained in his office. He smiled as he thought, _'MPWSB...complete morons.'_

His PC suddenly beeped. He went over to it and noticed an incoming call via internet. He answered it and said, "This is Godo."

"The shipment is inbound. I need men to pick it up for me." said a low voice.

Godo smirked and answered, "Don't worry Chang. I've got it under control. I'll pick up the electronics and drone parts as planned. We'll take the contrabands and resell them to the Philippines like we always do."

"Good. Keep me posted. Chop, chop..." The low voice finished.

**~0~**

"Did you get that?" Corvo said to Kenta as they sat on a table in the cafeteria. They were listening in on Chief Godo's conversation using the listening device they're remote accessing via phone. Currently, they were sharing earphones to make it look like they were both listening to the same song.

"Yeah. All we need now is time and location." Kenta replied. He then pulled out his earphone and stood up. "I'm gonna get some food. You?"

Corvo shook his hand in a 'no' gesture allowing Kenta to head over to the aisles and start picking food. Meanwhile, the police entered the cafeteria and felt their stomachs grumble. Akane's was the loudest, much to her chagrin.

"There's no harm in eating on the job." Masaoka stated.

"But where do we sit? All the tables seem taken." Akane said as she looked around the room.

Shusei had a better idea and noticed Corvo's table. It had enough to house all of the police unit and an extra seat. "Leave it me guys." he told them before marching to Corvo's table and sitting in the seat across him. "Yo! Mind if we sit here gaijin? Thanks, you're welcome."

Corvo looked at him confused while the other policemen walked over to the table. Akane crossed her arms and said, "Kagari-san, that's really rude."

Shusei replied with a smile, "Where else would we sit? Besides, if you look at it this way, gaijins(foreigners) get bullied the most. We're doing him a favor by sitting with him right?"

Just as he said that, a factory worker walked passed them and 'accidentally' elbowed Corvo's back. "Oops. My bad." the man callously replied. "Watch yourself gaijin."

Akane confronted the man and said, "You've got guts doing that in front of the MWPSB. It's almost like you want to get arrested."

The man answered, "My bad. I didn't know gaijins were special now." he then walked away to sit with his colleagues.

Akane and the other cops stared at the man for a moment before Shusei dropped down on his seat with a knowing smile on his face. Akane sighs and looks to Corvo. "Is it okay if we intrude?"

Corvo smiles and nods. Though he didn't understand a word, from observing the situation, he had an idea what was going on and it made him a bit worried. _'Kenta, we have a problem.'_

Akane sits next to Corvo while the other officers go over to the stands to line up for their meals. Corvo sits as casually as possible in order not to blow his cover. He peeks over to Akane and briefly eyes her. _'Let's see here...' _thought Corvo. _'There's a bump in her lower back. A gun from the looks of it. She's carrying five magazines there too. I'm point blank so I have the advantage but there are too many bystanders. I'll have to disarm her before her friends come to rescue her. Once that's done, I'll draw away their fire and...'_

"Um, is there something on my face?" Akane suddenly asks him, as she faces him.

Corvo blinks for a moment. He didn't know what she said but he knew she was asking a question. He decided to make a gamble. "Um...Hi?"

Akane was a bit surprised. _'Ah, he spoke in English. What should I do?'_ She smiled and said in a heavily accented English, "Ahhh...Hi?"

Corvo nodded. Akane was glad that he understood. She sighed and thought, _'Wow. This is the first time I'm speaking in English. Wait, what if he asks something really hard?' _But then Corvo asked, "Are you a detective?"

Akane felt her brain melt. It was a short sentence but she couldn't understand a thing he said. She forced herself to regain composure and replied, "Uhh...I..am..Akane." She pulled out a pen from her pocket and showed it to him while saying, "This is a ball pen."

"Oh..." Corvo replied, now very confused. _'I guess my language is not their native tongue. I have to take it slow like I did with the hostage.'_ Corvo put a hand to his chest and said, "Me...Corvo."

Akane tried pronouncing it. "Korubo."

Corvo shook his head. "Cor-vo."

Akane repeated, "Cor-vo."

"Corvo." He told her while nodding. He was glad he was getting somewhere with her. "Are you um..." _'What was that word again...' _"Kansayaku?"

Akane blinked a moment and nodded with a smile. "Yes. Kansayaku...you speak Japanese?"

Corvo shook his head. "New."

Akane pondered a moment and understanding filled her face. She said to him, "It's very nice to meet you."

"Same." Corvo replied.

Akane looked at her lap. Corvo saw she was nervous. _'It must be her first time speaking in this language. I heard from Kenta that this country is not very open and foreigners are rare here. It must be a shock to speak to a genuine one for the first time.'_

But then an idea came to Corvo's mind. He took the phone on the table and turned on its translating software. He was glad for this technology. It enabled him to type in English and let the program translate it to their language.

He went to work and typed in, *_**I'm nervous too.***_

He showed it to her, and she read the translation. Though the grammar was somewhat misplaced, she understood what he was saying. She then took the phone and began typing.

_***Where are you from?***_ She typed.

Corvo scooted a little closer and typed in, _***A far place. I don't know anything around here.***_

_***Really? Don't you have any friends?* **_She typed.

_***They're busy.* **_He typed.

_***Oh. What about after their business?* **_She typed.

He chuckled. _***They're always busy. Machines don't sleep so neither do they.***_

Akane typed in, _***If you want, I could show you around.***_

Corvo reached in to type but his fingers accidentally touched Akane's. She pulled her hands away and blushed faintly.

Masaoka arrived with a plate of food and set it on the table then sat next to Akane. He noticed how close they were and smiled as he said, "Oh, why did you stop flirting? Don't worry, its just between the three of us okay?"

Akane waved her hand back and forth while saying, "It's not like that. He can't understand Japanese. So we're communicating through phone."

"Communicating?" Masaoka asked in confusion. He then looked at the phone and saw the last set of messages. "Ah, that's pretty clever."

"What is?" Ginoza said as he sat down next to Masaoka.

Akane answered, "Ah, we're just talking using the phone translator. He doesn't know the language."

Shinya and Shusei sat down to eat but overheard their conversation. Shusei in particular, was a bit giddy about the whole encounter. He grinned and said, "Ehhh...stop pulling my leg. How long have you known each other?"

Akane pouted and said, "Oh, just shut u-"

but then they heard the sound of plates and trays crash to the ground. Everyone looked to the source and saw an ugly looking, black haired Japanese man, surrounded by several other men in worker uniforms. The surrounding horde laughed and jeered the man.

"Hey, yellow-green." jeered one man. "Are you going to have lunch in your private fancy room today?" He promptly kicked the man's sullied food.

Akane furrowed her brows. "What is that? That's terrible!"

"Oh, don't worry." Said Chief Godo as he walked to the policemen's table. "These things happen often." He looked at the bullying with an eerie complacency. "Since this is an environment with few diversions, we need a person to be in that position."

Akane felt her blood boil. She was about to speak when Corvo stood up and towered close to the chief, his eyes, brooding and frightening. He told him in English, "Kingdoms are not built on fear. They are built on trust."

The chief was confused. Corvo pointed at the scene and said, "End this."

At that, everyone understood. But the chief, despite his accented English, answered, "Don't worry. This is normal. This is how we do things."

Corvo gave him a look of contempt as he heard a familiar voice say, "five on one. A bit unfair don't you think?"

The assassin looked back and saw Kenta approach the bullies. The bullies began cursing Kenta who promptly joined in. Corvo quickly walked to the scene and stepped in between them, turning into Kenta and the downed man's shield.

"What are you looking at gaijin?" said one of the bullies. Corvo didn't respond. "You touch me, and you're deported. Got it big shot?" said the bully as he put his finger on Corvo's chest. Corvo pushed him down anyway. The other bullies tried to come close but Corvo decked one in the face and threw the other to the floor before he could react. The remaining bullies backed off a little allowing Kenta to walk up to the first downed bully and say, "Well you've got a bigger problem. My friend doesn't speak Japanese. He speaks fist. And when this is over, your dentist will be ten times richer."

Chief Goda approached the scene, his face red in anger. "What are you doing?! I've had enough of this violence. It's causing everyone an inconvenience." He faced Kenta and Corvo and said, "You've done enough today. Take the day off before I change my mind."

Corvo looked to Kenta for answers. The shorter man simply tilted his head towards the door, telling him they had to go. Corvo gave Chief Goda one last look and said in English, "Fine. I'll take the leave. Your tantrums aren't worth it anyway."

Corvo and Kenta walk out of the cafeteria leaving Chief Goda irritated and embarrassed. While he couldn't fully understand Corvo's English, he heard certain keywords that he quickly pieced together in his head. His face scrunched up in anger as Shinya walked over to the scene and helped the bullied man to his feet. As he did, Chief Goda turned away but managed to catch Akane's cat-like gaze of victory directed to him. The chief stormed out the cafeteria door.

Ginoza cleared his throat, catching the attention of the rest of his unit. "Let's head back to the office. I think we've collected all the evidence we need." He told them. The unit shared his sentiment and stood up and walked to the door.

**~0~**

Akane and her unit were out the door, heading to their vehicles. Ginoza and Akane quickly took their seats while the rest of the Enforcers returned to the Paddy Wagon. As the vehicles began to back out of the parking area, Chief Goda, from his office window, watched them with a keen eye. He mumbled in disgust, "Cops...lowlife pigs. That's right, just walk away."

When the vehicles were out of sight, Goda smirked and nodded to himself. His day had gone bad, but seeing the police overlook a shady deal, boosted his ego somewhat. He returned to his desk as the sliding doors of his office opened up, to reveal Kenta standing in the doorway. Chief Goda's face returned to neutrality as he said, "Are you deaf? I thought I told you to take the day off?"

Kenta entered the room and walked to the desk. He put his hands on it as he stared the older man down. Goda felt the hostility coming from the young man. But as he looked closer, he noticed his face was familiar. "I've seen you before. What's your work?"

Kenta answered, "Don't remember? I was gunning for this desk till you shat on it."

Cheif Goda frowned as he searched his memories. Then his eyes widened as he said, "You!" But his face returned to neutrality but there was a faint smile barely concealed in it. Goda relaxed his body as he said, "Watanabe. After all this years you come back from the dead."

Kenta replied, "Hell gave me an invite but told me to tag a friend along. So I figured, I'd drop by and take you with me."

Goda laughed for a moment. "You think you can come here and threaten _me_? I own this building. You won't leave this place alive."

Kenta answered, "That goes for you."

Suddenly, a blade popped out of Goda's neck. The chief looked at the bloody blade before seeing in the reflection of the computer screen, Corvo, standing there behind the chief, holding the blade's handle.

Kenta stood straight and said, "You've been working too hard. So I bought you a premium express ticket to hell. Better enjoy your stay. Cause there's no refunds."

Corvo held the top of Godo's head with his free hand and yanked the blade away. He dropped his grip, letting the man's head drop to the desk and bleed out quickly. Within seconds, Godo died.

Kenta faced Corvo and said, "That clock-stopping ability is something. Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Corvo sheathed his blade and said, "Are you sure about letting me make the kill?"

Kenta answered, "As long as he's dead, I can rejoice."

Corvo put his hands on his hip and said, "At least you and your parents will find peace now."

"Maybe. But until no Red Ring stands, I can't sleep." Kenta answered. "Let's get out of here before they see body."

But as the two were getting ready to leave, Corvo saw one of the video cameras show the police cars from earlier, entering the front parking lot. "Damn them." Corvo cursed.

**~0~**

The Paddy Wagon and Ginoza's car pulled over at the parking lot. the MWPSB unit exited their vehicles and Shinya said, "Masaoka and I will cover the rear entrance and set up the trap for Yellow-Green-san."

Yayoi then said, "Shusei, you come with me and secure the fire exit."

"Hai." Shusei slovenly quipped.

Ginoza faced Akane and said, "I will remain out here and await your failure."

Akane answered, "Ginoza-san, why won't you go along with the plan to capture the suspect? Is it because of Masaoka-san?"

But Ginoza refused to answer. Instead, he turned around and sat back inside the car. Akane was left there wondering what to do with her colleague.

"Kansayaku..." Shinya said out loud. Akane looked back just in time as Shinya said, "Are you coming?"

Akane looked back at the car briefly in worry. But she made up her mind. She was going to trust her Enforcers. She returned her gaze to Shinya and nodded. She joined Shinya's party and walked with them to the rear entrance.

When they reached the rear entrance, she saw Corvo and Kenta taking out the trash. "Ah, it's those two. I thought they were told to go home?"

Shinya approached them and said, "Yo. Aren't you guys going home?"

Kenta turned to face the officers and said, "Yeah. We were just leaving."

"I see." Shinya replied.

Akane approached Corvo and said in English, "Um...take...care."

Corvo replied, "You too."

But then they heard a loud crash. Akane and Shinya quickly pulled out their guns. Shinya ran to the backdoor and pushed through. Akane faced Corvo and said, "Please stay here for your own safety." She then ran after her partner.

When she was out of sight, Kenta said, "C'mon, let's go."

Corvo shook his head and faced the door. Kenta quickly said, "They're professionals. Whatever's back there, they can handle it."

Corvo answered, "She can't. And if I'm right, the killer they're after is what's causing this mess."

Kenta, now annoyed, replied, "It's not our business Corvo. We can't save everyone."

Corvo faced him and said, "But we can save them. I have to go. If I don't get out in 5 min..."

"Oh, hell." Kenta said as he palmed his face. "You finish that sentence and I'll deck ya."

Corvo answered, "5 min. is all I need. I'll see you at the bus stop."

Corvo pulled out his mask from underneath his disguise and wore it, causing his new assassin outfit to magically replace his current wear. He ran inside, hoping it wasn't too late.

**~0~**

Akane ran through the door and into the main garage. It was wide and spacious filled with inclines for the drones and several pipes and railings. An ambient light filled the room and coated it in a red-orange hue. Akane looked left and right but suddenly heard Shinya's voice say, "Duck!"

She felt danger coming from behind her and then heard a loud humming sound coming close. Turning around she saw, a four legged drone charging in, it's arm outstretched to clothesline her. The drone was too fast and already within a feet from her. There was no escape. As her eyes widened in fear, she suddenly found herself a few feet away from the drone, watching it pass through decking the air. She blinked for a moment and realized she was in the arms of the masked assassin, albeit in a modern version of his old garbs.

Corvo put her down as the drone reared its ugly head to face them. Akane saw Corvo stand in front of her, drawing his short sword with his right hand, while pulling out a grenade in his left.

five shots pierced the head and left shoulder of the drone. It looked to the source and saw Shinya on a railing, his gun aimed at the drone.

"Kogami-san!" Akane yelled as the drone changed target. but as it charged, Corvo blinked and appeared on top of the drone. He quickly drove his sword through the wiring of the neck and twisted it, causing the wires to tangle. He yanked out his blade and tossed the grenade in the new opening, before blinking to Shinya's side, grabbing hold of the man with two arms, and blinking to Akane's position just in time for the grenade to explode and destroy the drone.

Corvo let go of his grip as a hissing sound came from above them. They looked and saw the ceiling was being melted open. Before they knew it, several sheets of metal dropped and five drones dropped down to greet them. Then a sixth dropped down, only this time, a man was manning it from the back. They recognized him. It was yellow-green.

"Dammit!" yelled the worker. "I didn't kill him I swear! Why is everyone blaming me!"

Shinya and Akane aimed their guns at him. Shinya then said, "So you finally showed your true colors. This is getting interesting."

Akane faced him and said, "Kogami-san, we're here to arrest him, not antagonize him."

"Don't ignore me!" the worker yelled as he panicked and quickly manned the controls. the five drones charged to Akane and co.

Corvo quickly blinked to the first one's chest, hanging onto it with his left hand. He drove his blade into the drone's neck, twisted it, and yanked it out. The drone ran amok so Corvo blinked to the next drone and climbed onto its back. It tried to grab Corvo but he jumped out, just in time to lodge a sticky mine near its neck. When another drone was in proximity of the mine, it exploded, destroying the first drone, and badly damaging the other.

Corvo landed and saw his handiwork. One was amok, another dead, one badly damaged, and two still fresh for the fight. Oh, and Yellow-green was speechless and panicked.

"Woah..." Akane gasped. _'Am I dreaming? It's like I jumped out of a manga and I'm watching the main character dispatch the bad guys in an epic battle. Who is this guy?'_

Yellow-green on the other hand was losing morale. His drones were downed by a masked man with unreal power. "Kuso!(damn)" Yellow-green yelled as he drove his drone to the exit while his three remaining drones charged towards Corvo.

Shinya ran to the drones and yelled, "Kansayaku! Nab the suspect!"

Akane did as she was told and ran after Yellow-Green. Corvo on the other hand went to Shinya's side and tapped his shoulder. When Shinya faced him, Corvo pointed at the badly damaged drone before charging to the other two drones.

Shinya looked at Corvo and saw him hold his own. So he ran to the damaged drone and stood toe-to-toe with it. The drone swung its right arm. Shinya rolled to the side, and saw an exposed wire in the drone's right side. He aimed his gun and fired four shots into the thing and the drone's right arm moved wildly before dropping limp. Shinya jumped back, evading the drone's attack with its remaining arm. It swung and swung as Shinya ducked and evaded. He quickly dived forward and under another attack, skidding on his back, while having a good view of the drone's left armpit. He aimed his gun at it and pulled the trigger only for it to make that familiar clicking sound. It was empty.

He cursed as he rolled out of the way and evaded the drone's attack. He ran around the drone as he reloaded. The drone gave chase and managed to anticipate his movement and ran right in front of Shinya and charged. Shinya ran to meet him. When the drone was about to attack, Shinya dived down, and skidded underneath the drone, emptying his gun into the drone's bottom frame. Fully behind the drone, Shinya faced it and saw the drone was paralyzed, and currently on the floor trying to get up. But then the amok drone came in and crashed into the crippled drone, decommissioning both.

Shinya breathed hard as he gazed at the downed drones. He then looked to Corvo and saw that he had downed the other two drones from the look of the exploded parts they left behind.

Corvo turned to see Shinya and saw he was alright. He quickly ran to the exit, to chase after Akane. Shinya saw where he was going and had an idea what his plan was.

**~0~**

"STOP!" Akane yelled as Yellow-Green neared the exit. He looked back briefly then drove his drone through the exit, creating a hole in the wall as he escaped outside.

Akane stopped momentarily and aimed her gun at the suspect. She suddenly remembered Masaoka's words...

_..._

_"Masaoka-san, are you sure this thing is safe?" Akane asked._

_"Of course. just keep the safety on." Masaoka replied. "It feels good to be carrying a pistol again... There's no safe shot so its up to you to make the judgment call."_

_"That sounds very dangerous." Akane replied. She then asked, "So if we see the masked man, do we... shoot him?"_

_Masaoka put his hand on her shoulder and said, "That's for you to figure out. Part of being an inspector is knowing when to bring justice. If you think you can make that call, then don't hesitate."_

_..._

Akane snapped back to reality and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew and hit the suspect's left leg. Yellow-green lost balance and fell off the drone, landing on his back.

Akane breathed heavily as her adrenaline slowed down. She ran to the downed suspect, and aimed her gun at the writhing man.

"I'm with the MWPSB. You're under arrest for resisting arrest, property damage and assaulting an officer." Akane yelled out.

The man continued to writhe in pain as Corvo and Shinya arrived on the scene. Akane heard their steps and turned to see them. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is it over?" Akane asked.

Corvo nodded. He then disappeared. Akane and Shinya looked around and managed to glimpse seeing him running to a bus stop. The bus there was driving away and Corvo blinked to the roof of the bus. The vehicle drove away, out of their reach.

"There's no way we'll ever catch him." said Shinya. "He's like batman with powers."

Akane replied, "Who's batman?"

Shinya sighed. "You'll get it someday."

Akane's earpiece began buzzing. She pressed her finger to her ear and answered it. "Yes?"

"What happened back there?" Shusei asked. "Did you get the guy?"

Akane replied, "Yes. He's also injured. And there's more. The masked guy appeared again. He helped us stop the suspect."

"Huuu...Man I wished I was there to see it. You guys get all the fun." Shusei complained.

Akane answered, "Call an ambulance and tell Ginoza-san we have the suspect."

"Okay maa'm!" Shusei replied.

Akane ended the call and faced Shinya. "Did I do the right thing?"

Shinya told her, "Being able to stop the suspect before they make more victims is good for any day. I'm glad you stopped him. You did better than I expected."

Akane answered, "Thank you. Kogami-san. That really hit the spot."

Soon enough, an ambulance arrived and the suspect was taken away to be treated. All in all, another good day for the MWPSB. Meanwhile, Corvo and Kenta were walking back to the pub, dressed more casually than their last outfits. As they neared the entrance, Corvo told his colleague, "Mission accomplished, I'd say."

Kenta replied, "In more than one. With the DSM full, we can find and cut off the smuggling ring for good. We keep this up, and Chang's head is next."

They reached the entrance and Corvo opened the door while saying, "I look forward to it."

Both men enter the pub, satisfied that their work was done.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Took a while but I managed to finish it just in time for Christmas break. I originally was supposed to cut it and take the next half to another chapter but I realized it would be too boring to read it that way. So I merged it into one and it gave me an advantage plot wise. I have an idea how it'll come out and when we hit the later chapters, if we hit them, it'll make for better story than I thought possible. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read. Take care everyone and happy holidays.


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